This document discusses the history and current state of data-driven journalism. It outlines how journalists have long used data and tools like calculators, graphs, and databases to support their work. In recent decades, new technologies like computers, the internet, mobile phones, and data visualization tools have enabled more sophisticated data-driven reporting. The document argues that while data journalism is not new, it is becoming increasingly important as data creation grows exponentially. It stresses the importance of ethics, transparency, and using data to tell compelling stories that shed light on important issues.
6. Traditional tools applying tech to
journalism…
• Calculators and Graphs
• Mainframe and PCs
• Spreadsheets
• Databases
• Text and code editors
• Statistics
• Programming
7. In the 1990s, government and civil
society spread the Internet globally
8. In the 2000s, mobile phones and social
networking connected us ever more
9. In the 2010s, data creation exploded.
Image Credit: Real Time Rome from Senseable.MIT.edu
11. …combined with new tools & context…
• Online spreadsheets and wikis
• Data visualization tools
• Open source frameworks
• Code sharing
• Agile development
• Cloud storage and processing (EC2 & Heroku)
• More data and more access
• Privacy and security riskss
12. 2014: data journalism is the present
Gathering, cleaning, organizing, analyzing,
visualizing and publishing data to support
the creation of acts of journalism
13.
14. Trendy but not new
• The collection, protection and
interrogation of data as a source,
complementing traditional “shoe
leather” investigative reporting relying
on witnesses, experts and authorities
36. Storytelling still matters.
“We use these tools to find and tell stories.
We use them like we use a telephone.
The story is still the thing.”
- Anthony DeBarros
USA Today
Source: Data Journalism and the Big Picture
48. Questions
• Is the data clean?
• Is the data representative?
• What biases might be hidden in the data?
• Was the data legally obtained?
• Does the data contain personally identifiable
information (PII)?
49. Collection
• Who gathered the data? How?
• Was it clear how data would be used?
• Can people opt-out of collection or
usage?
• “Notice and consent” is not enough
• “Privacy by design” applies to news apps
50.
51. Data Analysis & Numeracy
• N = ?
• Average vs Median
• Statistical significance?
• Correlation != causation
• Regression to the mean
61. Create your data
“If Stage 1 of data journalism was “find and
scrape data,” then…
Stage 2 was “ask government agencies to
release data” in easy to use formats.
Stage 3 is going to be “make your own data”,
and those sources of data are going to be
automated and updated in real-time.”
-Javaun Moradi, Mozilla
80. Fauxpen Data
In an age of “openwashing”…
We need to:
Evaluate licenses.
Peruse the Terms of Service.
Review the governance.
Look at community.
Check the format.
101. 13) More diverse newsrooms will
produce better (data) journalism.
SOURCE: The Atlantic
A 2013 ASNE survey of 68 online news organizations
found that 63% of them had no minorities.
102. 14) Be mindful of data-ism and bad
data. Embrace skepticism.